BJP leaders come under increasing attacks in Valley

Kashmir-based ground workers of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) are saying they are being targeted by mobs and are going through hard times amid the ongoing unrest in the Valley.

Before the encounter of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani on July 8 sparked widespread protests, the BJP’s Kashmir unit had been endeavouring to strengthen the party base. Earlier, it had claimed that it had made strong inroads in Kashmir and had enrolled over 3.3 lakh party members in the Valley.

However, after eruption of the unrest, the BJP claimed that 19 workers had been attacked and they continued to live in danger.

BJP media in charge for Kashmir Altaf Thakur said he had a narrow escape when he was attacked near his Habbak residence on the outskirts of Srinagar.

“I had a narrow escape when I was attacked at Habbak. Nineteen BJP workers had been attacked during the unrest with many getting injured,” he told Kashmir Post from Jammu.

Though the BJP was once considered as an ‘untouchable’ in Kashmir, the party had held several rallies and done hectic campaigning in the 2014 Assembly elections.

The party had fielded 34 candidates in the Valley, but all lost. Later, it conducted its first-ever organisational elections in the Valley and elected presidents for all districts to strengthen its foothold in Kashmir.

BJP protocol in charge for Kashmir Arif Raja, residing in old Srinagar, said his house was pelted with stones several times during processions and street protests.

He said this had caused panic among his family members and he feared similar attacks in the future as well. Thakur said they had stayed put despite facing mob fury and no leader or worker resigned from the party.

He said a team of Kashmir-based leaders met BJP national general secretary Ram Madhav in Jammu recently and apprised him of the problems they had been facing.

“We met the BJP national general secretary and gave him our feedback on the situation and the problems ground workers had been facing,” he said.

He added that the BJP’s Kashmir unit would resume its ground activities of further strengthening the party in the Valley once the situation improved.

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